Q Fever

This chapter deals with Q fever found in dogs and cats. It discusses the etiology/pathophysiology, epidemiology, signalment, history and clinical signs, diagnosis, therapy, and public health implications of Q fever. Q fever is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Coxiella burnetii. C. burnetii is primarily of importance in small animal medicine due to its zoonotic potential. Multiple reports of infection in people after exposure to periparturient cats and dogs have been described. Fever, anorexia, and lethargy have been described in experimental infection. The inability to demonstrate the organism using polymerase chain reaction, culture, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and histologic methods does not rule out infection. Doxycycline and chloramphenicol are suggested for treating cats by the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases. Human infection associated with exposure to cats and dogs is usually in the context of aerosolization of high concentrations of organisms in placental tissues during parturition.